ME: Hey. Dad wants to take me home to see my sister. Is that okay? Axel is okay?

The response came back quickly.

AUSTIN: No problem. I’ll miss you, but I understand. And we’re doing great with the pup.

ME: Are you sure? I know you are healing and I don’t want you to be alone.

AUSTIN: You’re too much. You’re healing from actual, physical wounds. And I'm staying with Parker and Tinsley until you get back.

I sent him a heart emoji. Dad wasn’t wrong. I was craving home, even the home that it was. I wanted to see the place I was in before this whole scene.

I set my head back on the seat rest and closed my eyes. I saw Endgame’s last breath over and over again before it faded into an ombre blackness.

27

AUSTIN

I was petting the dog after I texted with Taylor. Tinsley was across from me, crocheting a sweater for Axel.

“She okay?” She twirled her wrist and made a knot slip through a loop.

“I wish I could’ve seen her, but it’s better for her to see her sister. Everyone was worried.” I flopped one of Axel’s ears over his eye.

“You okay?” She paused her crocheting to stare at me.

In response, I glanced at my feet. “I don’t know. No. Not okay. It’s a lot of guilt. A huge patch of guilt.”

Tinsley set her project down and crossed over to Axel and me. She folded herself next to me and hugged my non-petting arm.

“You should say it,” I offered.

Her eyebrows wrinkled. “Say what?”

“That you told me so. That Endgame was bad news.” I made Axel’s fur go in the wrong direction and then sooth again.

“You already knew that. The reason we’re friends is that you found the good in him. And guess what? I know the whole situation was fucked up and we can smear blame around, but he did the right thing in the end.”

“Helped Roberta kidnap Taylor?” I turned a bit and Axel huffed when I stopped petting him.

“He refused to leave and always put himself first. I think he did the right thing at the very end because he knew that you would never forgive him if Taylor was gone forever.” She rubbed my shoulder and then rested her head on it.

“How do I look at Taylor’s father in the face again? What do I say to Taylor? That I’m so broken inside right now? No one deserves this half-assed human that I am.” I rested my head on top of hers.